Edward Snowden to speak at SXSW

Mar. 5, 2014
|

NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden / The Guardian via AP

by Brett Molina, USATODAY

by Brett Molina, USATODAY

The former National Security Agency contractor who lifted the veil on U.S. surveillance practices will speak at next week's SXSW Interactive Festival.

Edward Snowden will participate in a one-on-one discussion via videoconference from Russia on Monday about "the impact of the NSA's spying efforts on the technology community, and the ways in which technology can help to protect us from mass surveillance," according to a description of the talk on the SXSW website.

Ben Wizner, the director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy & Technology Project and Edward Snowden's legal adviser, will moderate the session in Austin.

Last summer, Snowden leaked secret U.S. documents detailing the NSA's surveillance tactics, which included gaining access to phone records and Web data for millions of Americans.